The Underground Railroad
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Slow Burn
The fire follows Cora out of North Carolina.
Ridgeways Dramatics
This episode is about a handful of returns.
So why are they heading that direction?
When Ridgeway showed up in North Carolina and finds Cora, it was unexpected.
Truth is, you were a surprise.
No sooner had I arrived than I found you, he finishes.
Ridgeway is obsessed with narrativizing his experience, seeing himself and Cora as fated antagonists to one another.
This isnt his only eye for literary dramatics.
The origin of the fires cant be agreed upon.
Ridgweway simply says its due to a lightning strike, but Boseman has other thoughts.
Theyre on Cherokee land in fact, on The Trail of Tears and death, as Boseman puts it.
Ridgeway, master of explaining his wrongs away, says, No.
Just a spark got away is all.
Later, Ridgeway follows a fleeing man on horseback.
We hear a gunshot and Ridgeway returns with his bag of food.
And for what, your tortured soul?
Later, Homer tattles on Boseman.
It was he who undid [Coras] chains today.
With an eye towards indecency, sir.
Ridgeway hits him and pours out his beer in punishment.
I bet hell like it, he says, All that talk about not believing in the Great Spirit …
The Great Spirit didnt believe in you!
Hes gone too far.
Ridgeway shoots him twice, killing him.
Homers Origin
Homer at least sees something wrong with the treatment of Cora through Bosemans advances.
Ridgeway explains:
I bought him.
Down in Atlanta from a butcher who was trying to settle a debt.
Paid five dollars for him.
Something about the disposition in the boy appealed to me.
Dont know why … Id never owned a slave before in my life.
Thought of that did not appeal to me.
I drew up emancipation papers the very next day.
Tried to shoo him away and he followed me.
Cora challenges this idea that Homer is free or has agency here.
Buying a child to then free him might not leave that child with many options.
Cora asks, You make him lock himself up at night?
after noticing how Homer sleeps.
Oh, that, Ridgeway starts, he says its the only way he can get hisself to sleep.
We get to witness her personality, and even humor, come out a bit.
When Ridgeway asks if shes itching to find out how he found her, she says No …
But it seem like youre itching to tell me.
I laughed a little.
When he gives his explanation, Cora levels up the pressure:
Cora: So it was luck?
Ridgeway: You rest assured that I would have scooped you up sooner or later.
Cora: The same way you scoop up my mama?
Its great to watch her be able to do this and take some power.
Ridgeway draws the story out, but the camera focuses the entire time on Cora, quietly weeping.
The standout scene of this episode for me is Coras conversation with Jasper that night.
First to her mother, Mabel, she says, Mama you there?
I know you are.
You up north having a grand old time.
If we ever meet, Ima kick you square in the teeth.
Second to Lovey: Hey Lovey, what you doin girl?
Im sorry over what happened.
I know you alive somewhere.
I know you lookin down.
Third to Caesar: Caesar (she whispers) If I could go back.
Id do things different.
But I think you know that.
One day, Im gon see you again, and Im gon make it right.
Finally, to Grace: Grace, you strong.
You stronger than me.
You aint chained to no wagon.
Jaspers Freedom
Jasper has spent the entire trip not eating and not speaking, save for singing hymns.
Jaspers grumpy, but they talk about Florida, and why he doesnt eat: Whats the point?
When Cora says that hes given up he responds, I aint given up.
Cant nobody touch me.
Last Breaths
In the final act of the episode, Ridgeway and Homer get distracted hunting raccoon.
Unsurveilled, Cora runs away.
When we return to the lake, Ridgeway is rescuing Cora, dragging her out.
He spins her over and hits her in the back to knock the water out of her.
he says to her.
Is this what you want?
He puts a gun to her throat, then removes it.
It aint that easy.
As punishment, Homer and Ridgeway chain Cora up to Jaspers corpse for the night.
Before they depart, Ridgeway leaves Jaspers grey body in the dirt.
Ridgeway returns to his horse beside the wagon, surveilling Cora just as the episode began.
The Caboose
Chapter 5: Tennessee - Exodus iswritten by Nathan C. Parker.
The song played during the closing is Jasper/Calvin Leon Smith, singing Down By The Riverside.
Ridgeway, Drama King, really shot that man for his bag of food!
His fireside monologue about the resiliency of okra … he loves a symbol.
While Boseman is an awful person, its nice to encounter someone thats justsickof Ridgeway and his antics.
Between Bosemans, Coras, and Jaspers final words to him he really gets dragged!
Cora: The white folk of Tennessee got whats coming to em.
But if theres such a thing as justice, what I ever do?
Thuso Mbedus performance in this episode is STELLAR.
Calvin Leon Smiths performance makes his brief presence so haunting.
Jasper: I was a picker.Cora: With them skinny arms?
Jaspers fate is different than it is in the book, and this version rounds out his character.
Well this was a bleak, difficult midway point.
I need to sit with all thats transpired for a while.
This episode provides some interesting insight to how these characters think about death and escape.
Cora thinks Jaspers unwillingness to eat is giving up, but he doesnt see it that way.
Jasper thinks Coras attempts to run away are futile, but she doesnt see it that way.
